Yasuke and the Wolves of Wall Street

Part II

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Yasuke and the Wolves of Wall Street (Part II) by Nicholas Ahlhelm

Over the next week, Caroline found her body getting more used to the rigors of Yasuke's life. Though she doubted she possessed half the moves he did, she started to actually move through the long series of katas every morning with minimal pain. The sparring sessions in the afternoon evolved. From simple strikes, she moved on to practice her own parries. The next day, he met her with a wooden sword. He taught her the basics of the katana and wakizashi, the long and short blades he carried into battle. The following day they practiced the use of both weapons at once. Then it was on to throwing knives and stars or shuriken as Yasuke called them. 

She knew she was far from an expert with any of the weapons, but she found their use felt almost natural to her. Perhaps it was her years dancing at Club K or just her natural athletic ability. When they returned to wooden swords on her seventh day, she managed to slip Yasuke’s guard twice to land a blow. It excited her immensely, though she knew the dozens of bruises he left on her with his own bokken guaranteed she would have been long dead in an actual fight. 

She made them a simple chicken noodle soup for dinner that night. They ate quietly as they often did for the first few minutes, but it quickly got to Caroline. Though she appreciated that he saved her and taught her so much, it felt like her life was wasting away with Yasuke. She needed excitement. 

“Why don’t you stay here tonight instead of going out? I’ll make it worth your while.”

Yasuke said nothing. He continued to quietly eat his soup.

She slipped out of her chair. She walked up to him and pressed herself up against his back. She dropped her lips down next to his ear. “Please stay.” 

“I have a mission,” Yasuke said.

“The mission can wait another day.” She slipped her arms around him. Brought them down from her shoulders. His loose gi allowed her to easily run her hands under it and across his firm pectoral muscles. She brought her lips down to the side of his neck. She kissed him in the nape of his neck. 

She never met a man who didn’t react to her pressing against them and touching him like this. Yasuke didn’t move. He felt like an animal caught in a bright light, frozen to complete stillness.

She pulled her lips away from his neck. “Please, Yasuke.”

“I am… grateful you show such interest in me,” Yasuke said. “I did not wish to lead you in a direction that might make you think I would have a reciprocal interest in a relationship. I have made a vow of vengeance. I am incapable of giving you what you want.”

She pulled away completely. “Are you freaking serious? I spent years with men falling all over themselves to get into my pants. I’m literally throwing myself at you here. Please, Yasuke.”

He said nothing. 

She threw her arms up in frustration. “Whatever. Just go then. Just go.”

“We can talk about this more in the morning,” Yasuke said. “You are right that I must leave though. I cannot risk letting Denham’s wolves run wild out there.”

“Fine.”

She sat back down and started to eat her own soup. Yasuke said nothing else as he rose, gathered his things, and left. 

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Caroline waited until Yasuke was gone for a good half an hour. She slipped out of her current gray gi, one of several she had worn since she first came to live with Yasuke. She put on the tights, crop top, and jacket she wore when Yasuke first brought her here. 

If he can’t open himself up to me, I’m just wasting my time here. I need to get out of here. I need to have a life.

She slipped on a pair of Yasuke’s boots. They were a bit bigger than her feet, but she could pull them tight enough to be comfortable. She stopped at the wall of knives. She took a tanto and a few of the shuriken. She walked to the door and took several deep breaths. She realized she hadn’t left the apartment in over a week. She reached out and turned the door handle. 

Though his apartment hadn’t let in many sounds from the building, as soon as she walked into the hall she could hear voices behind doors. She recognized an episode of Three’s Company through the nearest door. She wondered for a moment what kind of soundproofing Yasuke’s mentor put up in the apartment. She realized how impressive it was as she heard shouting from behind another door down the hall. 

She couldn’t quite get over how strange it felt to suddenly realize how much life surrounded her. After days of solitude with Yasuke, it reminded her of the reality of the city. Millions of people lived within miles of one another. No matter the time of night, some activity was everywhere. They called it the city that never sleeps for a reason. 

She glanced down at her watch. It was already nearly nine. If she was going to go, she needed to go now. The elevator in the building worked, which marked it as at least a step above most tenements in the city. But she realized with a shock as she pressed the button for the ground floor she was actually in the basement. It took only seconds to go up one floor to the front door. 

Caroline slipped through the doors and back onto the streets. She recognized her location. She was in Brooklyn, not more than a few stops from her Mom’s place. She hadn’t been sure if she wanted to head out for a burger or what when she left. But this close to her Mom’s place, she figured she could check-in. After a week off the radar, she probably worried about her daughter. Caroline could pay her a quick visit, let her know she was alright, and be gone before anyone knew. 

She hustled down the nearest subway entrance. She paid her fare out of the cash from her last night on the job. Ten minutes later, she was on her train. 

Less than a half hour after that, she smiled up at her Mom’s place. The house was a tiny two-bedroom, but growing up she was one of the only people in school that actually lived in a house. Passed down through three generations of Jacksons, she always looked at it as not good enough for her. But as she looked at it, she couldn’t help but feel she was at home. 

She bounded up the front four steps. She rapped at the door. She could barely hold in her excitement. It was just her mom’s house, but it somehow felt like an adventure. 

It took Mom almost thirty seconds to come to the door. She squinted through her prescription glasses. “Caroline? What are you doing here?”

She sprang forward and wrapped her arms around her mother. “I wanted to see you, Mom. I wanted to tell you I was alright. I love you.”

Mom patted her back. “Of course, sweetie. I love you too. But what is this all about?”

“I’ve been gone for a week, Mom. No one called you from work or anything?”

“Gone where? Honey, what’s going on?”

Blue and red flashes shone out from the street behind her. A single siren sounded as three police cars all came to a quick stop right in front of the house. They were out with guns drawn only a few seconds later. 

“Hands up where we can see them!” 

Caroline could only curse under her breath as she raised her arms into the air. 

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